Coroner: Death of woman who went missing 1 year ago ruled ‘accidental drowning’

The death of a Sacramento woman who went missing and was found dead in the Upper Truckee River has been ruled an accidental drowning, the South Lake Tahoe Police Department announced today.

Pamela Suwinsky, of Sacramento, was reported missing by her ex-husband on the evening of April 3, 2017. He told police that Suwinsky left the Motel 6 in the 2300 block of Lake Tahoe Boulevard that afternoon. The ex-husband did not know why she left or where she went.

Suwinsky was found dead six days later by the El Dorado County dive team in the Upper Truckee River within a mile of the hotel.

Police described the circumstances surrounding her death as “suspicious.” Suwinsky left behind her ID, credit cards, her dog, purse, cell phone and car. The ex-husband said Suwinsky fell the night before she went missing and cut her lip and chipped her tooth, the Tribune previously reported.

While the initial autopsy showed she had drowned, investigators were greatly concerned with how Suwinsky ended up in the river. Additionally, suspicious statements were made by her ex-husband, according to police.

South Lake Tahoe Police Department initiated a homicide investigation into Suwinsky's death. Several search warrants were executed in different jurisdictions including Sacramento and San Jose over the past year. Numerous interviews were completed, cell phone tower information was collected and evidence processed, according to police.

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“In the end SLTPD, along with our partner agencies are confident that this was a tragic accident and the El Dorado County Coroner has ruled her death as an accidental drowning,” stated a press release from the city. “SLTPD is closing the investigation.”